Alopecia in Women Submitted to Childhood X-Ray Epilation for Tinea Capitis Treatment
May 2010
in “
British Journal of Dermatology
”
TLDR Women treated with X-ray for scalp fungus as children had a higher chance of hair loss, especially with higher radiation doses and severe fungus infections.
In a retrospective study involving 670 women treated with X-ray epilation for tinea capitis as children from 1950 to 1963, researchers found a 6.7% prevalence of alopecia. The study identified that women with a diagnosis of tinea favosa had a significantly higher risk of alopecia, with a relative risk of 9.49, and those who received an irradiation dose of 630 R or more had a relative risk of 5.50 for developing alopecia. Age at irradiation was initially associated with a higher risk of alopecia, but this was not significant after adjusting for tinea diagnosis and irradiation dose. The findings highlight the increased risk of alopecia with higher irradiation doses and the diagnosis of tinea favosa, underscoring the need for early treatment to prevent alopecia.
